Yes, it’s possible to survive in New York City—and even sock away $6,000 in savings—making less than $30,000 a year.
Neal Templin, the WSJ’s resident Cheapskate, discusses his 22-year-old daughter’s adventures living in New York City on a meager salary. How did she make ends meet? Pretty basic stuff, actually. She rented an apartment in Brooklyn with friends, with her share coming to $750 a month. She got around with public transportation. She occasionally smuggled a bottle of wine into a nightclub so she didn’t have to pay for drinks (OK, that one is a slightly more advanced cheapskate tactic). As for food:
She joined a nearby food cooperative to slash her bill. When she did go out, she’d hit cheap restaurants. Once she ordered a $9.99 whole chicken at a local BBQ chain renowned for its big portions and cheap prices. She then took the chicken bones home and made soup out of them.
A couple of times, Mariana says, she did some Dumpster-diving when she spotted a local market throwing out “big bags of bread perfectly packaged.” But for the most part, she saved money by eating lots of whole grains, beans, lentils, peanut butter and fresh vegetables from the food co-op. She ate meat a couple of times a week.
Simply put, she figured out lots of different ways to spend less than she earned. Even a 22-year-old knows that that’s how you save money.